India is pushing for a permanent UN Security Council membership, with support from major powers including the US, France and Russia, but competing regional demands and China's veto remain key hurdles.
In this episode of First Things Fast, Labanya Maitra looks at what happens when the burden of preventing violence quietly shifts from those who commit it to those who have to live with its consequences.
Two Election Commissioners raised repeated concerns about how voter data and electoral rolls were being handled. In this episode of First Things Fast, Labanya Maitra questions what those concerns ultimately reveal, and whether the safeguards in place are adequate.
In this episode of the Culture Project, Labanya Maitra explores Heikru Hidongba, where ritual, history and the rhythm of the water meet.
POCSO was meant to change how India protects children from sexual abuse — from child-friendly procedures and dedicated courts to time-bound trials
In this episode of Culture Project, Labanya Maitra examines how sometimes, a jewel isn't just an ornament. It's a little piece of history, still sparkling.
In this episode of First Things Fast, Labanya Maitra looks at the gap between procurement costs and what patients are charged, earlier investigations into hospital consumable markups, and why regulating medical-device prices is not the same as regulating hospital billing.
Bangladesh once sent hilsa to India as a gesture of goodwill, with shipments often becoming a marker of warming ties. But now, the direction has reversed.
India won the Women's Asia Cup but refused the trophy over Mohsin Naqvi's role as presenter. Here's what happened and why.
In this episode of First Things Fast, Labanya Maitra wonders what Parliament can learn from Chennai to get the job done.
Who decides what Hindus should eat during Durga Puja? After Bageshwar Baba criticised Bengal for eating non-veg during the festival, the backlash was swift… and for good reason.
From medieval Rajput sieges to the violence of Partition, women's bodies have repeatedly become battlefields — and their deaths framed as honour.
For centuries, Shaligrams have been revered as physical manifestations of Lord Vishnu. But these sacred stones have an extraordinary geological story too: they are ammonite fossils, remnants of an ancient ocean that existed some 175 million years ago.
During Onam, men across Thrissur transform into painted tigers for Pulikali, a nearly two-century-old tradition of dancing, drumming and elaborate body painting. Labanya Maitra explores why, in Pulikali, the tiger doesn't need to be sleek. It needs to shake.
India gets the same global food brands… but not always the same food. From Fanta with far more sugar to KitKat with dramatically less cocoa, Reuters' reporting raises uncomfortable questions about why recipes and standards differ so sharply across markets.
India can build flyovers, airports and gleaming metro lines, but in 2026, children are still wading through waist-deep floodwater, crossing swollen rivers and clinging to makeshift rafts just to get to school.
New York mayor Zohran Mamdani is building an unusual image of what city government can look like: spot a problem, show up, fix it. So unusual, in fact, that the internet has started comparing him to Spider-Man.
Pilgrimage has traditionally involved walking long distances, waiting in queues and enduring the elements. Today, paid services like helicopter transfers, VIP darshan and luxury accommodation can reduce these hardships. But what impact does this have on local communities, workers and fragile ecosystems?
What happens when a preacher who has promoted cow urine and traditional remedies as powerful cures appears to rely on modern medicine himself?
Independence was not the end of the story. In many ways, it was where the story truly began.
